Daemon X Machina is a game that I have been keeping a close eye on since it was first announced for the Switch at E3 2018. After discovering the game was being produced by Armored Core franchise alumni my interest was piqued even further. Armored Core has always been one of my go to mech games for its frantic arcade like style take on the genre. Unfortunately the Armored Core franchise has been MIA since the last gen release of Armored Core Verdict Day back in 2013. Now after nearly 6 years, the void of an arcade like style mech game has finally been partially filled in the Daemon X Machina demo!

Story

The moon has crashed into the planet and the resulting radiation has turned A.I. against its creators. The A.I. now intends to wipe out all of humanity but standing in its way is a group of mech pilots called outsiders, humans who have gained special abilities from the same radiation. As an outsider it is up to you to defent the remainder of humanity.

Gameplay

Starting up Daemon X Machina I was blown away by the amount of customization on display. A full character creator is here along with the ability to choose between a male and female pilot. There are a good amount of customization options to make your pilot your own that I think everyone should be pleased! After creating your character your are dropped into the hangar. The hangar is the central hub of your journey where you will be accepting missions and customizing your mech.

There are only 4 missions included in this demo but each showcased what the game would be bringing to the table. from a basic training mission to taking on other huge mechs I was pretty impressed with what I was playing. Controls are intuitive and easy to get which had me quickly zooming around the map taking out targets. speaking of targets the game features a pretty substantial auto aim system to help players keep focus on their quick maneuvering. Defeating enemy mechs allows you to salvage new parts or weapons you can then customize into your own mech. this aspect is really intriguing to me as it gives the game a Mega Man feel of acquiring the powers of the enemies you take down. Weapon ammo can also be dropped from fallen enemies so keep an eye out if you start to run low.

Movement can take place on the ground or in the air and usually ends up with a combination of both. A quick double press of the B button will turn on your mechs thrusters and pressing B further will raise your altitude (Default controls). to come back down a click down of the Left Thumbstick will bring you back down. To speed things up even further a booster is also included on your mech. pressing Y activates the booster but use it sparingly as it does consume stamina from your mech. Along with the stamina gauge comes a life meter that gives you the read out of your mechs current HP. As expected taking hits in combat will begin to deplete this meter. Maneuver accordingly to try and stay out of fire!

Visuals

Daemon X Machina boasts a beautiful art style that really shines on Nintendo’s hybrid console. The cel shading is also reminiscent of recent mech anime’s. This seriously just makes the whole thing feel like you are taking part in one of the most epic anime’s of all time! Seriously, whether you are a fan of cel shading or not once you see this game in motion you are going to love it!

Audio

I hope you like rock and metal cause that is what Daemon X Machina gives you to enjoy while you blast away at enemies! Weapons and missiles also have a unique sound to them that I am enjoying.

Verdict

For such a short demo, it has given me a ton of things to look forward to when Daemon X Machina launches later this summer! A visually stunning game with easy yet deep controls and the mech combat I have been missing for nearly 6 years! If you have yet to try out the demo definitely give it a shot before it gets pulled from the E-shop and try the game out for yourself!

Ryan started out playing games on his fathers Atari 2600 and has been playing games ever since. Favorite franchises include Command & Conquer, Ace Combat, Metal Gear and Halo. Ryan likes to keep up with all current and retro gaming news and trends. You can follow Ryan on Twitch, YouTube, and Twitter.